Yahoo Lifestyle Older Men Are Dropping Knowledge Bombs That Every Young Guy Needs To Hear Before It's Too Late
On the always honest subreddit r/AskReddit, Reddit user u/BigShow786 asked men 30 and over to share one lesson every guy should learn early. Here are just some of the submissions, and my bones are aching just reading them:
1."Don't let people treat you poorly. Not your girlfriend, not your buddy, not your family."
2."You are only young for a period of your life. You are actually 'older' for most of your life so make sure your decisions consider that."
3."Stretch more often."
4."Admit when you make a mistake and learn from it. And don’t try to hide them either. I’ve avoided so much conflict in my adult life by going to someone and saying, 'I need you to know I made a mistake, and I’m going to correct it,' or, 'I messed up, and I need help.' Trying to blame someone else when it's genuinely your fault always causes more problems, and mistakes you try to hide almost always get found out eventually."
5."You're not indestructible. All the little injuries you pile up in your 20s and 30s will haunt you later."
6."Pick a career that pays the bills. Passion is nice while you’re young, but that gets old quickly when you're constantly trying to keep up with bills."
7."Know when to say, 'I don't know,' and, 'I can't handle this, let's get a professional.' You'll save yourself a lot of time, money, and the color of your hair instead of being bullheaded and trying to do everything yourself."
8."By far, it has to be learning the value of TIME. So many people in this world don't grasp this until it's far too late in life. Don't waste your time doing things you hate or being around bad people."
9."No one is coming to save you. Do it yourself."
10."Investing in yourself is one of the best investments you can ever make."
11."Be kind, it's its own reward."
12."Workout."
13."Wear a rubber."
14."You’re not that funny when you put other people down. You are more of a man when you lift people up."
15."When you get a chance: pet a cat."
16."You probably could lift that furniture or appliance alone, but is it really worth it?"
17."Start saving for retirement; I know you've all heard it, but I can't stress how much more you earn from your savings during your 20s. This is not a drill. Start saving money you don't touch until retirement. Up here in Canada, you can borrow against it for your first house down payment at low interest as well."
18."You’re not smarter than everyone else. Shut up and listen."
19."Be a man of your word. Your integrity is the only thing that can’t be taken from you."
20."The best way to improve your life is to improve yourself. If you wait for someone or something to happen, it won't. Work today to improve your life in any way that you feel you need it."
21."Take care of your back and enjoy spicy foods. Because both things get a lot harder."
22."Be 100% honest with women about your intentions, regardless of how you THINK it’ll affect them emotionally. Honesty and integrity are paramount, and you can’t control how someone feels."
23."Attention doesn’t equal affection."
24."Don't burn bridges with people; try your best to maintain friendships."
25."Brush your teeth before putting on your shirt and tie."
26."Make friends with women. And I don’t mean make friends to have romantic relationships later, like just be platonic friends. Having someone you can talk to with a different perspective can be beneficial."
27."Enjoy the ride. It’s over before you know it. Take each chapter as it comes. Don’t worry too much about the future or ruminate too much about the past. Develop habits that recharge your life force. Stay away from the energy vampires."
28."There is a difference between talent and skill. A skill will develop over-invested effort and time. All the talent in the world is wasted if not trained."
29."Get over it. Seriously, learn to get the F over it. Whatever it is, you're in your 30s now. Grow up and move on. Some pr*ck cut you off in traffic? Skip the road rage, get over it, and move on with your life. The meal was sub-par? Fine, it happens. Get over it. Rough breakup? Tough shit, get over it, move on with your life. I can't believe the number of people around me, 30-plus, who just can't let shit go. The past is the past, learn from it, and move forward. Mistakes happen; we aren't perfect, and the world will keep turning. GET OVER IT."
30."Define your own masculinity. Don't let a podcast tell you what being a man is."
People over 30...any life lessons you want to share? Comment below!
Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.
